Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Holiday Season Continues!

The last weekend before Christmas found me celebrating two seasonal holidays: Hanukkah with a good friend who is Jewish and winter solstice with a group of Latvian friends.

The Hanukkah party featured many menorahs, good food, great company, and gifts for everyone.

Lighting the menorahs

It was baby Fiona's first ever party!

Celebrating winter solstice is always a treat, particularly because I am not able to do so every year. As always, the potluck meal was amazing: from roast pork to sauerkraut, from mashed potatoes to a traditional Latvian mushroom cream sauce, from cheese grits (not a Latvian dish, but fantastic anyhow) to beets, everything was hearty and delectable.

I loved the home's natural decorations, including this homemade wreath with a Latvian sash!

When it came time for pulling the log around the house, we were fortunate not to have particularly cold temperatures or muddy conditions to contend with. After we had chopped our troubles from 2014 into the log, the fire burned very brightly indeed, and we warmed ourselves with both good memories from the past year and thoughts of a happier and healthier 2015. Naturally, we also sang quite a few folk songs.

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About Me & the Blog

Letiņš is slang for a Latvian person, and ASV means USA. After growing up in a Latvian-American family in the American Midwest, I've been happy to call the Washington, D.C. area home for more than seventeen years. I love to travel and explore, and I love most things Latvian. This blog is where I share some of my adventures and thoughts with the world.

If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing DainaLatvian(at)gmail.com.